Since 1993, the Hanns-Seidel Foundation has been active in Indonesia. From the beginning, the encouragement for sustainable protection of climate and environment, in a country in which one of the largest biodiversity of the world is found and whose sizeable forest stand account as a major component to combat global warming, has been one of the most important aspects of the cooperation.

The environmental program of the Hanns-Seidel Foundation in Indonesia has become one of the most representable projects of our international activities. The object of our project is to contribute to a sustainable, sociopolitical, democratic and ecological aware development in Indonesia. In cooperation with our Indonesian partners we develop teaching materials as well as improve didactic and content knowledge of teachers and civil servants who hold a responsibility for environmental education. Additionally, we intend to increase the public’s own initiative on communal level through the promotion of so called “Green Schools”. In this regard, the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation cooperates with the Indonesian Ministries of Environment and Education which have supported our undertaking since its beginning.

The delegation travel to Munich and Brussels from 16th to 22nd September, which was under the direction of Indonesian Deputy Minister of Environment, Ilyas Asaad, included several representatives of the Indonesian Ministries of Environment and Education as well as of the local government and school authority level. In this context, the Indonesian participants had the chance to gather information about local structures and institutions connected to the education of a sustainable environment. Besides an exchange on ministerial level in Munich the delegation also visited the community Wildpoldsried, a role model in terms of sustainability, as well as the green school Ernst-Mach-Gymnasium in Haar in order to share information thoroughly about sustainable environmental protection practiced in Germany.

Within the delegates’ program the Indonesian guests had the chance to exchange concepts and projects promoting environmental education as contribution to climate change protection and sustainability with German experts on the topic at the headquarters of the Hanns-Seidel Foundation in Munich on 18th September. Ilyas Asaad emphasized on the challenges and development of environmental education and portrayed remarkable activities and “best practices” which had been implemented despite low resources in manpower and funds. The program “Adiwiyata Schools”, which is supported by the Hanns-Seidel Foundation, encourages the establishment of “Green Schools” and emphasizes on the education and further training of teachers. Furthermore Adiwiyata means: “The place where knowledge, standards and ethics are conveyed as the foundation of a sustainable development”. Indonesia’s environmental education is strongly connected to the spiritual values of the cultural area. The Indonesian participants displayed great interest as German experts out of the Ministries of Environment, Education and Forestry, representatives of related agencies as well as of civic association and universities gave an account of their spectrum of activities. In Germany, it seems, schools have a larger scope in curriculum decisions and on the level of the civic society close cooperation is implemented. Several other similarities and differences between Germany and Indonesia were assessed during the discussion. For instance, the curriculum in Indonesia, due to very detailed specifications, takes in a very prominent role while the Ministries of Environment and Education work rather separate on this matter. Thus, the distance between the ministries to the numerous schools and the population at the islands makes communicating rather difficult.

This is one of the reasons why the Hanns-Seidel Foundation is committed to enhance the exchange between officials of the two ministries and to include authorities on provincial level in the development and distribution of teaching materials.

On 20th September, the discussion was continued on EU-level together with a group of experts in Brussels. Indonesia’s ambassador, H.E. Arif Havas Oegroseno, emphasized in his introduction speech that his country had highly prioritized the protection of its environment and the reduction of greenhouse gases. The audience seemed impressed by the structured concept of environmental education in Indonesia. In responds to inquiries of the participants, teachers of two “Green Schools” reported about existing environmental projects in their facilities. These were, for example, the composting of the canteen’s waste and the planting of a high-yield type of cassava by the students. Up to then, the members of the group of experts had appeared to be unaware of the connection between Islam and environmental conservation. Related to this, Ilyas Assad clarified how the respect for the Creation, as depicted in Islamic and Christian theology, can sensibilize the general public for environmental topics and how important the inclusion of religion is in Indonesia. Seamus Gillespie, head of the European Commission’s Unit for relations with South East Asia, verified the willingness of the European Union to support Indonesia in its commitment for climate and environmental protection. Furthermore, he said that Indonesia would play a key role because of its possible functioning as bridge between developed and developing countries.

Besides expert discussions, bilateral meetings with representatives of the European commission of development cooperation and environment protection took place in Brussels. This led to a very productive exchange of knowledge on both sides. The European participants realized the need for more environmental education programs, whereas the Indonesian party got an inside of specific “Best Practice” examples concerning environmental campaigns. Finally the delegation visited the International School of Brussels which has already received several honors for its sustainable campus and strives for environmental protection. Thus, a place that provided numerous suggestions for the delegates.

“The environmental education in Indonesia has achieved already a lot but there is still plenty of work do to”, summarized Ilyas Asaad. The trip of delegates to Germany and Brussels offered both Indonesian and European participators opportunities to compare practices and initiate further joined projects.